We all know by now the story and the struggle that Gabriel Landeskog has been going through over the last few years. In May 2023, he got a cartilage transplant into his knee, a surgery that no athlete at the time had come back from. The Swede has been working on recovery, mostly out of the public eye, to make a comeback ever since.

There have been days where Landeskog has taken part in some drills with the team, but only for a few minutes. Today, captain Gabriel Landeskog took part in full practice for the first time in three years. Is the timing a coincidence? I do not think so.

“Well, he’s looking good,” head coach Jared Bednar said Landeskog. “I thought he looked great in practice today. Obviously, just like a sort of the flow and go non-contact stuff, certainly nice to have him there. And so he’s making strides like his rehab is not linear. There are lots of peaks and valleys in it. And sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back, but he’s still making progress, obviously, feeling comfortable enough to come out and join the team with certain drills. So hopefully that continues and continues to grow, working to a point of a return. It’s really hard to say, but things are going great. It’s certainly nice to help back on the ice with our team.”

Quote provided by Guerilla Sports

Landeskog has become more visible to the public after almost complete radio silence for three years. Two weeks ago, TNT started airing “A Clean Sheet”: Gabe Landeskog Docuseries”. It is a five-part series that airs every Sunday morning that chronicles his journey through recovery. The series ends the week before the playoffs start for the NHL. Landeskog also appeared on the popular podcast Spittin’ Chiclets. He even has done an hour-long interview with Altitude TV. Why is all this important you ask? Landeskog has not done one interview between the surgery and the Altitude interview.

Landeskog has done the normal end of season press conferences, but that was in a controlled environment. He also had general manager Chris MacFarland and public relations manager Brendan McNicholas sitting there to control answers. These all were the first interviews on his own.

The series and interviews suggest Landeskog’s return. Strategic planning positioned the series conclusion just prior to the NHL playoffs. He looked the best he has looked in months on the ice today, and if this all does not give you hope, I do not know what will.